Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil’s record in office may not be much to write home about — a string of terrorist attacks across the country since he took charge and no sign of a breakthrough in any case. On one front, at least, the Minister has delivered — by providing the clout of his official address to help his son’s businesses, from a distillery in Haryana to a sugar mill in Maharashtra.

An investigation by The Indian Express in New Delhi, Ambala and Latur has found that the Home Minister’s son Shailesh Patil and daughter-in-law Archana Patil have cited the Home Minister’s official residence, 4, Janpath, as their address when they became part of a Rs 149-crore distillery project sprawled across 52 acres in Ambala.

Records obtained from the Registrar of Companies and pollution board authorities show Shailesh and Archana Patil joined as directors of N V Distilleries Ltd on May 9, 2005. The plant started bottling operations for major brands, including Seagram’s, three months ago.

Shailesh Patil, who works out of an office in his father’s residence, told The Indian Express that he has a 50% stake in the distillery. But its chairman Ashok Jain claims that the Home Minister’s son “has no financial stake.” Jain, however, admits: “Having Shailesh Patil on board added to the profile of my project.”

He isn’t off the mark.

For, records show that the Union Environment Ministry violated its own guidelines to clear the distillery’s expansion (more of that later). And several officials in the Haryana Excise and Pollution Control departments admit to be under “strong pressure” due to what they call the “4, Janpath connection.”

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